Fire and Ice
by EreAsha
Summary: The only dragon left in the land is Black, controlled by Zarkon, the leader of the Galra Empire. He uses the power and magic that comes with being a dragon rider to rule over the land with an iron fist. Anyone who disobeys the might of the Galra Empire goes missing. Two new dragons rise up, and their riders must rise as well, or there will be no one to fight the Galra Empire.
1. Gems of Fire and Ice

Lance took a deep breath; his target in sight. A big buck, maybe the leader of this pack was not that far away. He had enough meat on him to last a little bit, even with as many people as he had to feed. "Focus, Lance." It was starting to get cold. Night was approaching rapidly, and Lance didn't want to spend another night camped out in the mountains. Not when he knew his family was counting on him to bring home at least a little bit of meat for everyone to enjoy.

He did his best to suppress a shiver as he pulled out an arrow. Nights were always too cold, and he hated it. Lance took a deep breath, trying to stop his shivering. It wouldn't do to have his aim suffer because he was shaking. After a moment, he aimed, taking extra caution about where he'd be firing. He had to be certain with his shot, or this would all be for nothing. Lance took another deep breath. "Focus…" It would take just a moment.

So he thought. Even as Lance aimed, he saw a flash of red. It was something that definitely wasn't an animal. It only took Lance a moment to figure out just what (who) it was. "Keith!" Oh… Maybe that wasn't the best idea. Yelling only startled the animals, causing them to bolt. "Shit…" Lance mumbled, shaking his head.

"Oh. Just _great_ job there, Lance!" Keith scowled, his arms crossed. "You scared them all away! What were you thinking? Oh, wait. Don't answer that. I know. You _weren't_ thinking! Because you never do!" He huffed and started towards Lance, glaring as he did.

Lance frowned and set his bow down, not wanting to ruin it in this encounter with Keith. "What was I thinking? What were _you_ thinking? For one thing, we're hunting, and you have a knife. A _knife_ of all things! Secondly, I've been tracking this group for a long time now. You should have found your own! Get out of my space!" He crossed his arms and took a step towards Keith, frowning. Why did Keith always seem to put him in such a bad mood?

"This is a _mountain_ , Lance. It doesn't belong to you." Keith's glare only intensified. "And _I've_ been tracking this group. Says something that you didn't notice me 'till now." He scowled as he stepped in front of Lance.

"Yeah? Well… Well you didn't notice I was here either!" He leaned down glowering. Why did Keith always have to rile him up? It wasn't fair. "That must mean I'm a better hunter than you. After all, you didn't see me until I started yelling at you." He grinned, feeling good about that. Sure, he was taunting Keith, but what harm did that ever bring?

Maybe it wasn't actually a good idea to taunt Keith, considering the other practically slammed their foreheads together when Lance finished speaking. "I _didn't_ notice you" he started, voice quiet, yet threatening, "because I was _actually_ focused on hunting. If you had been focusing, then it _wouldn't have mattered_ that I was there. Because you would have been hunting!" He almost seemed genuinely angry about it. Keith probably was.

Lance glared. He glared because maybe Keith had the tiniest little bit of a good point there. If he hadn't yelled, and ignored Keith and actually hunted, then he'd have something to bring back to his family. Sure, Keith wouldn't have something eat, but that would be his problem. Besides, this mountain was free for everyone to use, so Keith could have kept hunting. However, Lance also glared because of how close Keith was. He could see Keith's eyes, and how they were a soft grey that almost appeared violet. Keith's eyes were full of emotion. Lance didn't want to see it, so he did the only thing he could think of. He spit in Keith's face.

In hindsight, that probably wasn't the best thing to do. Not when Keith was so close. Not when that emotion in Keith's eyes all turned to anger. "What the hell, Lance?!" Keith's voice wasn't quiet anymore. He was yelling, He was angry. Lance didn't even get a chance to answer before he felt something him hit. _Keith_ hit him. His hand was curled up in a fist, and was extended slightly to show where he had hit Lance.

"Oophf!" Lance doubled over, clutching his gut. He really should have just taken a step back, or laughed it off, or anything other than _spitting_ in Keith's face. He just had to spit in Keith's face instead of literally anything else. As soon as Lance caught his breath, he acted. He didn't even think about what he was doing. He just jumped at Keith, using both hands to push him to the ground. A bit of rocky footing meant he fell down on top of Keith, but that didn't stop the flash of satisfaction Lance felt when he successfully attacked the other.

Keith groaned in pain when he landed on the ground and the rocks digging into his back. Lance's entire weight on top of him didn't help. "Get the fuck off of me!" Keith was angry. He knew fighting wouldn't fix anything, and wasn't the way to go. Yet he brought his knee up, aiming to get Lance off of him. His eyes flashed with satisfaction when he got Lance's side, only to be disappointed when it _didn't_ knock Lance off of him. Lance groaned before glaring at Keith. Oh… It was _on_. Lance didn't think about anything before curling his hand into a fist and punching Keith. It was satisfying when his hand connected with Keith's face. A part of Lance hoped he had broken the other's nose.

Keith wanted to knock that stupid, smug look right off of Lance's face. The best way to do that would be to get the upper hand. Lance had, stupidly in Keith's opinion, lowered his guard after the punch, which made it easy to roll to the side, knocking Lance off. Keith quickly bounced to his feet, and wasted no time before he kicked Lance. Lance howled in pain and clutched his eye. Keith stared for a moment, surprised. He hadn't meant to get Lance's face, but it what the other deserved for spitting in his face and then punching his face.

"Fuck you, Keith!" His mother was going to kill him when he came home with a black eye and nothing to eat. This really had been a terrible idea, hadn't it? He insulted Keith too. That was not the smartest thing he could have done. Not when Keith still had the high ground, and was easily able to kick him again if he wanted to. Keith probably would have left him alone if he hadn't spit Keith's face too. Well, he wasn't going to back down. Not yet.

Lance was trying to figure out what he wanted to do when he noticed the weather. Usually, there were tells about how the weather was going change. It'd be a gentle roll. Winds would change, slowly as the weather came to its next form. He had always been able to tell when the weather would change, which is why he hunted instead of his siblings. Now though, the clouds rolled in fast. Thunder was rolling. It was, in Lance's opinion, a very unnatural storm. He didn't have time to think about it, seeing as Keith was yelling again.

"I should be the one saying that to you!" Keith's glare intensified, and he crossed his arms again. Lance could have gotten up, but he was trying to think of what to do. "I got upset because you scared away all the animals! Then, for no reason what so ever, you had to spit in my face!" He huffed and pulled his foot back, getting ready to kick Lance again. However, Lance noticed the light gathering in the sky, above them. Lance knew that sign, and it wasn't good.

He didn't think. Lance just acted. He rolled to the side, and into Keith, causing them to both tumble away, and over the edge of a small hill. Keith cussed as they tumbled down the slope. Bits of rock and twigs tore at their clothes and got stuck in their hair. It was probably more painful than whatever their fighting had been, considering dirt got into their cuts too. It was a good thing that Lance had gotten them both to move, seeing as not a moment later, lightning struck the spot they had been standing. Both Lance and Keith's ears rung with the sound of thunder. Small fires clung to whatever small branches and shrubs hadn't been completely blown away or destroyed.

While he waited for his hearing to return, and the ringing in his ears to stop, Keith stood and brushed himself off. He pulled the twigs and branches from his hair and scowled, shaking his head. When he had finished, he offered a hand to Lance, so he could help him up. "You…" He could hear his own voice, which meant Lance probably could. "…Saved me. Thank you, Lance."

Lance blinked a couple of times, before nodding and taking Keith's hand, glad for the help. "Yeah… No problem." He shook his own head now, and ran a hand through his hair before speaking again. "I noticed it was gathering and well, I couldn't just let it hit you too." He shrugged his shoulders before glancing back up the slope. "Bet'cha I can get back up there before you could!" Lance didn't even give Keith a chance to respond before he started to scramble back up the slope.

"Huh? Lance, wait!" Keith frowned before scrambling up after Lance. The other laughed when he reached the top before Keith, like he had obtained a victory. "You can't say you won. You were halfway up before I had time to process anything," Keith huffed, wanting to wipe the smirk off Lance's face. It wasn't working.

"Aww. You're jealous. Don't worry, babe. I know I'm amazing." Keith could only roll his eyes at Lance's antics. Yeah sure. Lance amazing? That was hilarious. Keith almost said something, wanting to shut Lance up but, unfortunately, Lance started speaking again before Keith could get a word in. "Oh look!" He laughed as he stared at the spot. "The lightning unearthed some gemstones!"

"I… Really don't think that's how lightning works, Lance." Keith frowned, but Lance was right. The lightning had already blown away some of the branches and bushes, so it wasn't a stretch to say it had blown away some dirt, revealing the gems. It had to, seeing as there was what looked to be a ruby and sapphire sitting there. They were honestly beautiful. Keith had never seen an uncut gem so smooth or rounded. It didn't seem natural. Keith still wanted one though, and reached for the closer gem, which was the sapphire.

Lance slapped his hand away and snatched both stones, shaking his head. "Nuh-uh. These are mine. My sisters would kill for jewelry made with the stuff. Plus! I can sell the extras and buy some meat." Since he had scared away all the deer. Whoops. Well, anything that was left in the area would have run when the lightning struck anyway, so he didn't see it as a loss. "Besides, I totally saved your life. So I deserve both gems as a reward."

Keith rolled his eyes and sighed. Typically Lance. Always thinking he was more deserving than he was. "Yeah. Sure. You did. However, if I hadn't been here, you would have gotten the meat and been on your way. Then you wouldn't have found the gems at all. So let me have one." Which one he got didn't matter. He didn't care.

"I guess… I guess. There's a point there." Or maybe he would have gotten both anyway. Or maybe he would have been so focused on the animals that he wouldn't have noticed the unnatural lightning. The storm was already gone, and it never even fell. "Fine. Fine. I'll give you one. But I get to choose which." There was a mischievous glint in his eyes. Keith had reached for the sapphire first, so Lance handed over the ruby.

"You do know you're an idiot, right?" He sighed as he held the stone, and frowned as his fingers brushed the surface. Something felt off. "It's like it's breathing…" That was strange. "What about your sapphire?"

Lance's eyebrows knit together as he held his sapphire. He was concentrating on it, and just holding it. "I… Yeah. I think it is breathing. Gems don't breathe though, Keith." He was scared. This… This wasn't how things were supposed to go. "Keith… The lightning wasn't natural. The clouds gathered too fast, and now there's nothing."

"So… What?" Keith raised an eyebrow, not sure what Lance was getting at. So what if the lighting wasn't natural? "Wait… Shit. Magic?" That was impossible. Only the Galra Empire had access to magic. Anyone else was gone; taken to join the Galra Empire or else just disappearing. "These gems aren't magic, are they? Lance, we can't keep them!" He shook his head, hands clutching the ruby tight. "The Galra Empire will be after these, and us too if we have them!"

Lance frowned and looked down at his sapphire. It practically hummed under his fingers. It called to him. It was asking, no, begging him not to go. Not to leave it or abandon it. It wanted protection from the Galra Empire. It was afraid, and that fear shook Lance. It took over, making him shake and shake his head. "We… We can't." He just barely gasped out. "The Galra… They can't have these. Too afraid. Bad things. I feel it." It was down to his core. "We need to protect them."

"You're crazy." Keith spoke without hesitating. The gems, afraid? That was ridiculous. Though, they were magic. Who said they didn't have some sentience? Some knowledge of what was going on in the Galra Empire? Knowledge of what the Empire wanted to use them for? Keith couldn't help but shiver. There were traces of fear in the ruby he was holding, begging him not to go and not to abandon it. "I… Damn it." He shook his head. "You're right. We can't just leave these gems. That's so annoying."

Lance grinned at that, nodding. "Yeah. So… We gotta hide these. No selling them or making jewelry or anything." But where? "Hiding this sapphire will be hard for me though. There's too many people at my house. It'd be found almost immediately." He sighed and ran his hand over the sapphire, almost calming it. He didn't want to leave it though. He couldn't leave it alone for someone else. He had to have it.

"Well, just hide it away from your house? Like in the woods somewhere or… Keep it with you in a rucksack or something." Keith sighed and shook his head again. At least he didn't have a problem like Lance did. His own place was rather empty. It was no problem keeping his stone safe and away from prying eyes. Thank goodness. "Or just leave it here. It's your call really, Lance."

Lance frowned and looked down at the sapphire. "Right… Yeah. I think… I'll keep it with me. A rucksack seems good. Or… Or something." His fingers brushed against the sapphire, and he closed his eyes so he could just feel its life. Keith frowned as he watched… Though the warmth under his own fingers was so comforting and calming.

They stood in silence now. Neither boy moved. There was nothing to say or do. The warmth of the gems encompassed them. It filled with a sense of purpose. But… What purpose? What did these sentient gems want them to do? Go against the Galra Empire? They'd be killed before they set foot outside of their village. Keith struggled to move. He had to get home… Figure out something to eat, but it was like his feet were rooted to the ground.

"Shit!" Lance yelped and dropped the sapphire before rubbing his hands together. His eyes were wide. "What the fuck dude? This thing is freezing now!" His hands felt like ice, and no matter how much he rubbed them together, they wouldn't warm up.

Keith raised his eyebrow, but before he could say anything, he yelped and dropped the ruby. "What the fuck is right!" His wasn't freezing but… Keith looked at his hands, and the burns that snaked across his fingers. The smell of burnt cloth was there too. Keith had no doubt that it was from his gloves.

Keith and lance glanced at each other, unsure of what to do before glancing down at their gems. The gems that were practically pulsating with energy. They were shaking, and cracks appeared on their surface. Lance's eyes were wide and panicked, and Keith could only stare.

Neither of them could say anything as the gems, the eggs broke open, and tiny reptiles clawed their way out. One was red and one was blue, matching the eggs' shells. Both reptiles made a crooning noise in the back of their throats before awkwardly jumping to them. Lance and Keith instinctively caught them, and as they did, one word entered both of their minds.

 _Dragons._


	2. Dragon Riders

Keith wasn't sure what he could ever have done to deserve such a fate. He carefully searched through every memory he could recall, looking through every little detail of his life, but there was nothing big. There was no horrible event he had done to deserve his fate. Sure, sometimes he had punched other children, or cussed out an adult, but those were accounted for. He had gotten trouble or hit back. He had been paid back those deeds already. So maybe… It was some past life sort of thing that had led to his current predicament? If so, it was horribly unfair. Keith couldn't even remember any past lives! He wasn't sure he believed in them.

He rubbed his right hand, trying to still a fire that raged under his skin. It felt like his hand was on fire. Logically, Keith knew it wasn't. There were no flames or smoke. His skin wasn't peeling, and the fire wasn't spreading. It just stayed in his fingers, like a constant reminder of the dragon he now owned. Rode? Was partners with? Keith knew next to nothing about dragons. There was only one left in the land, and it was a menace. Black was terrifying… Then again, King Zarkon was terrifying too, so at least the dragon and rider matched.

The two dragons were perfectly content right now. Keith frowned as he watched them. The two were curled up, like cats, pretty much. His was smaller and slimmer than Lance's dragon… So maybe his would be faster, and more agile. It was a guess, really. Again, Keith knew next to nothing about dragons, and all the stories of old were gone. Zarkon had made sure that every last one of them had disappeared and anyone caught telling a tale simple disappeared. So really, there was no where he could go to learn more about them.

His dragon cried lightly for his attention, so Keith sighed and ran his fingers over the dragon's scales. It chirped, content, which caused Keith to smile. It also caused the fire in his fingers to calm… His hand felt normal now.

"I guess you're a fire dragon, huh? Lance's dragon doesn't calm the fire. It numbs it a little though… So it's probably not a fire dragon." Blue… Blue would be water or ice, right? Keith scoffed at the idea. Right, so either Lance's hands would be perpetually wet or they'd be freezing. Honestly, he wasn't sure which would be worse. Fire certainly seemed bad, but he also got to calm it since his dragon was here. Lance couldn't.

"You two are so lucky I live by myself." They'd have nowhere to hide the dragons if he didn't. Lance lived with his family, and people were in and out of the town so much that they couldn't hid them there. Maybe, they'd have been able to hide Lance's dragon in the woods… But then Lance had gone on about checking up on the dragon, which would lead to questions about why he was leaving so often. He couldn't say he was watching a dragon so he'd have say he was dating or something, and then Keith would have to pretend to be his boyfriend- And at that point, Keith had cut Lance off, because fine, he could watch the two dragons at his place. At least he could while they were young and small.

He was old enough that no one would check on him either. When he was younger, he bounced from home to home until he had been able to care for himself. Then, he'd gotten his own little hut on the edge of town. Until recently, someone would be in to check on him every few days, and would make sure he had everything he needed. Supposedly, he hadn't just been adopted into a family because strange things happened when he stayed for any length of time. He was still a child though, and so no one had had the heart to throw him away… And now that he was older, things were fine, so he stayed.

A knock came at his door. Keith paused his petting, which made his dragon whine and croon. It calmed when another knock came at the door, and Lance's dragon glanced up for a moment. Keith frowned, and stood up. Slowly, his fingers started to feel like fire again, but Keith didn't notice. He was focused on the door instead. Usually, no one bothered him. So it was either Lance or-

"Keith, I know you're home!" A smile slowly found itself onto Keith's face at the sound of the other's voice. Of course _Lance_ wouldn't visit him. There was no need. Not yet. If he came about too often, the dragons would be discovered, since Lance didn't really visit except to announce when he was going on a hunt, and then declaring that Keith was to wait until Lance returned before hunting… Not that Keith listened… And maybe he'd go out only when Lance did. It was funny; Lance didn't usually noticed him.

"Shiro, it's nice to see you!" Keith didn't even think about the dragons as he opened the door for the storyteller. He paled, once the thought crossed his mind. The door was already open though. Shiro was here. The dragons were in sight. "Sh… Shiro…"

Keith didn't get to say anything else, as Shiro pushed inside and closed the door behind himself, and bolted it shut. He muttered a few words under his breath before he was satisfied enough to step away from the door. "I'm glad to see you were sensible enough to realize your mistake. However, if I had been anyone but who I am, that would have spelled terrible trouble for you and the other rider… Who I'm going to guess is Lance, going by what I know about the both of you."

"I… _What?"_ Keith could only stare at Shiro. He wasn't sure he was hearing the other correctly. He was just… So casual about the dragons. Like he had known about them all along. He also wasn't surprised to see he had dragons, which just baffled him.

"Right. Okay." Shiro sighed and ran his right hand through his hair. Keith couldn't help but noticed that something was _off_ with his arm… But he couldn't place it. Maybe… The new white in Shiro's hair was messing with his perception. "You probably have a lot of questions. Like how I knew you had dragons, and why I know about your dragons, right? Also probably why I'm here. I never visit you personally. I stay at the inn."

Numbly, Keith nodded, and Shiro continued. "Right. Well, the why I'm here is pretty simple. It's _because_ of those two dragons you're hiding. I know they're here… And so does the empire, I'm afraid. Now… As for how I know about dragons and how I knew you had them… The answer is the same. Voltron."

The group in defiance of King Zarkon was known as Voltron, or simply as the rebel group Voltron. Rumor was, Balmerians and Elves, along with any magic-using humans joined in it, in the hopes that they could free the world from Zarkon's grasp. However, there'd been no movement from them. No raids or attacks or even whispers of them. Keith had thought they were a myth. He _still_ thought they were a myth… But Shiro was in front of him, claiming that Voltron was why he knew about the dragons.

"I see your questions, Keith. Yes. I'm a part of Voltron. And if you and Lance want to get out of here before Zarkon sends his minions out, I'm going to need you to trust me."

He held out his hand. Keith just stared at it, not sure what to think. Things were changing much too quickly. If it was anyone else, he would have refused. This wasn't just anyone though; it was Shiro. Keith knew Shiro. Shiro was one of the few, maybe even the only, people he trusted. After that moment of hesitation, Keith slipped his hand into Shiro's for a firm handshake, sealing the deal.

He couldn't help but notice that Shiro's skin felt cold.

Lance sighed and stared out at the fields from his window. He honestly wasn't sure what to think about anything. He and Keith had found dragon eggs… Well really, he had found dragons eggs. Keith had just hatched one of them. They both had dragons. It was such a surreal thought. Dragons were a myth right? Sure, people claimed the king owned one, but who ever saw that dragon? The only thing he knew was that that dragon's name was apparently 'Black,' but also, that was a terrible name. It _sounded_ made up. Then again… Lance was also seriously considering calling his dragon 'Blue', and he was pretty sure Keith was going to end up calling his 'Red', so maybe it wasn't that far off.

He sighed again and rubbed at his fingers. No matter what he did, it felt like they were encased in ice. His fingers were cold. It felt like they were encased. Nothing was there though… Nothing except the lingering feeling of something missing. For a moment, Lance's mind snapped to thoughts of his dragon. Then it was gone, and he was left to wonder if the icy feelings in his fingers would ever go away. There was also the fear of it spreading. What if ice encased him completely? What if ice encased his heart? What would happen then? Part of him told him that wouldn't happen.

Again, Lance's thoughts trailed off to think about the dragons. There wasn't just one dragon, but two. Two beautiful, baby dragons in the world… Keith and he were their riders. He was a rider. Was he going to get magic? He hoped not. The Empire took anyone with magic in them, and frankly, he didn't want to be in an army. Then again, he had a dragon, so maybe he'd get special treatment. Really, it was just confusing, and Lance had no one to talk with about it. Well, he had Keith, but Keith was all the way on the other side of the village, and he couldn't just become Keith's buddy just like that. So he was stuck in his own thoughts. It was… A bit unsettling.

"Uncle Lance! Uncle Lance!" He didn't have to dwell on his thoughts for long, as his niece came running to find him. Lance smiled faintly, knowing what was coming. "Your mom said that since you aren't doing anything, you can play with me!"

That made Lance laugh. "Lucia, I would have played with you even if my mom didn't say I had to. You know that." His little nibling giggled before grabbing Lance's hands to pull him up. In the back of his mind, Lance noted that she didn't flinch away from the coldness of his one hand, so it was likely she didn't even feel it. He also took note of how her hands still felt warm and alive, even though he couldn't coax the warmth back into his fingers. "Alright! Alright!" He laughed. "You don't have to drag me. I'm coming. I'm coming."

She cheered at that, which made Lance smile. He loved his family so much. His two older sisters and his older brother. Their spouses. The youngest of his older sister's two kids… His parents and his grandparents. They all stayed together, and Lance was glad for it. It meant there was always someone there to listen. There was always love going around the house. It kept him warm and happy.

Lance didn't even register what it was Lucia was dragging him out to play. Though he did notice that Raul, his nephew and Lucia's brother, came out to join them eventually. He also could have sworn that, at some point, he saw their parents watching them, before his grandparents called them away from some help.

Maybe he could get away with playing with his niblings instead of helping around the place because he was the youngest. Maybe it was because he had just gone hunting, even if he didn't bring anything back. Or maybe it was just because the two youngest of the family were having such a good time with their Uncle Lance that no one could bare to break them apart to get Lance to do something. He was willing to bet that it was that last one. It wasn't often that Lucia and Raul got to play so much, or that they looked so happy. Even the youngest knew that with so much family, things could be hard.

Eventually, his sister came out, and did stop all of their playing. "Lance, you have a visitor."

His niblings pouted. "Aunt Talia! No! We're playing with Uncle Lance! Let us play!"

Lance had frowned and shook his head. "Sorry Raul, Lucia. It seems like it's important. That's why Talia is here, and not someone else." His sister slapped the back of his head for that, but it was worth it. Lance laughed as he made his way back towards the house. He couldn't think of anyone who'd want to visit him. Keith, maybe, about the dragons. Except that Keith couldn't visit him without bringing the dragons, and there was still too much daylight to think about transporting them.

Lance frowned as he sat down on a couch at Keith's place. His dragon, Blue, had been ecstatic to see him, and had immediately curled up on his lap, a contented chirp leaving her mouth. Lance wasn't sure why he knew Blue was a she, but he did. He was glad to find that his fingers thawed when he was near Blue too, though he was still hesitant about Shiro being here. Sure, Shiro was a storyteller… He went everywhere and picked everything up. But something was just _off_.

"I'm going to start by telling you what I told Keith. The Empire knows about your dragons, and will soon be here. I am here to help. I know all this stuff because I am a part of Voltron."

It was more than Lance could handle. He glanced over at Keith for a moment, wanting to know his reaction. However, Keith had kept his face blank, displaying nothing. His eyes were trained on Shiro, though one hand was arresting on his dragon. Keith's was on his lap, just like how Blue was on his own.

Shiro continued on, once he'd given Lance a little bit of time to process what he said. "The two eggs you two have been tracked. The Empire… Had control of them. For a long time too." He looked like he wanted to add something to that, before quickly shaking his head, seemingly having thought better of it.

"Some of the Alteans had gotten them… But not without losses. For one thing, some very powerful people were lost. Another is that we couldn't keep the eggs. Zarkon had some sort of magic wrapped around them. The best we could do was to send them to the edge of the kingdom. Whoever was closest was to get them, dispel the magic, and bring them back to Voltron. But instead… It seems like the dragons chose you two."

"So basically, what you're saying is that we got these dragons on complete accident, but it doesn't matter because they wouldn't have hatched if they hadn't chosen us." When Shiro nodded, Keith continued. "Right. So then, if there was some sort of magic on the eggs, telling the king where they were, then was it dispelled when they hatched? Or is it just sort of clinging onto the dragons?" It was a valid question.

"The magic would have dispelled when the eggs hatched. Broken and empty eggs mean nothing. They aren't worth anything. Thankfully, Zarkon didn't think that the eggs would hatch for anyone other than someone in his service, so he didn't add layers on to trace the dragons. However, the trail of that magic still settles here. He knows that the eggs hatched here. If we're lucky, he'll send some of the droids after us. If we aren't, it'll be the druids." Shiro grimaced as he said the word. Lance and Keith could see a flash of pain, hurt, and even betrayal in his eyes before he composed himself.

"The sooner we leave, the better. Lance, did you ever bring Blue home? Or did she come straight from the mountain to Keith's?"

"Oh… Yeah. The second. Too many people at my place. She'd have been found immediately." He shrugged before running his fingers over his dragon's scales again. "So she came straight from the mountain here… Don't think she liked being away from me though." Now that he was with her again, Lance could say that he had hated being away. He just hadn't been able to tell that until he was with her again.

Shiro nodded, as if that was to be expected. "Typically, they don't. Especially not when the bond is so new. The stronger and older the bond, the easier it is to be apart." He shook his head. "That's not the point though. At least not yet. The fact that the dragons only came from the mountain to here is good. It means they can't connect anyone else in the village. But it also means we must speed up our departure. You two, pack up. I'm going to buy some supplies. Then we're leaving."

Lance stared, unsure of what to think. They were going to leave. And today. "But… My family." They'd see him packing. There was no way he could get out today. It'd have to be tonight. Or he could grab his bow and arrows and some other stuff and pretend to go out hunting again, since he hadn't caught anything the last time. He made a face. He had a way to get his things, so now he had to take it, didn't he?

"Careful. Your face might freeze that way." Lance frowned as he glanced towards Keith. Of course Keith would say something like that. He was worried about leaving his family. The only time he'd ever been away from them was when he was hunting, and even then, he was never gone for long. This wasn't something he was used to thinking about. Keith though… Keith never really had anyone, did he? Something about the other being cursed, which really Lance didn't believe.

Shiro sighed lightly. "Lance, I know you don't like the idea… But you can always come back when this is done. Right now, the Empire doesn't know you're a rider. And when the find out, if you're far enough away from here, they won't find your connection to your family." Lance was still at a loss for words. Shiro frowned, and moved closer, to rest one hand on Lance's shoulder. "At least think about it, alright? We have… A little bit of time still."

Lance just numbly nodded… And took note of how cold Shiro's hand felt. It hadn't been warm, like his niblings' hands were.


End file.
